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1 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER

Culture Tips
C Culture

Dutch Cuisine

Food for special occasions

For example on the New Year we eat Oliebollen (deep fried dough balls), and to celebrate a newborn baby we eat
beschuit met muisjes, rusks sprinkled with "little mice," which are anise seeds covered in white, pink, or blue sugar.

Dutch delicacies

Dutch stroopwafels ("syrup waffles") are a delicacy not too miss out on. Best to eat them with a hot cup of coffee or
tea. A broodje kroket ("bun with a croquette") and mustard, maybe not the healthiest thing to eat but oh-so-tasty. It's
even possible to buy these out of a vending machine.

Seasonal dishes

The probably most famous dish, stamppot is mainly eaten in winter time. Mashed potatoes are mixed with either
endive, carrots, sauerkraut or curly kale. The stamppot is served with a smoked sausage.

Table etiquette

Before we start eating we say "eet smakelijk". With this we wish eachother a good meal and after saying it we start
eating. We can't put our elbows on the table or reach in front of someone, we will have to ask the person next to you
to pass it to you. When finished eating we place our fork and knife parallel on our dish.

Sightseeing

Amsterdam is the most popular tourist area. Even though the Tulips in the Keukenhof are very popular, tourists
mainly want to see the beautiful old houses and canals Amsterdam has to offer.

The number two:

Keukenhof Gardens is the world's largest flower garden, and actually a promotion for the Dutch flower industry.
Approximately seven million flower bulbs are planted annually in the park.

The last one:

Kinderdijk. More than 1,000 old windmills still exist in the Netherlands. The largest concentration of Dutch windmills
can be found near the village of Kinderdijk.
Family Life

The Dutch see the family as the foundation of the social structure. Families tend to be small, often with only one or
two children. The Dutch are often considered to be quite liberal. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first nation in
the world to grant same-sex marriages. The Netherlands is also the only country in which a homosexual couple can
adopt a child. Many couples in the Netherlands decide not to get married but to go for The Registered Partnership
(established 1998) it provides the same rights and responsibilities as married partners, except in relation to children.

Work, Culture, and Economy

The Dutch prefer to get down to business quickly and engage in relatively little small talk. Communication is direct
and to the point, and may seem blunt. When you want to get your point across, make sure your arguments are
rational as opposed to emotional, and use facts and figures to confirm your statements. Business is conducted
slowly. The Dutch are detail-oriented and want to understand every innuendo before coming to an agreement.
Decision-making is consensus driven. Anyone who might be affected by the decision is consulted, which greatly
increases the time involved in reaching a final decision. Appearances are important to the Dutch. We see ourselves
as thrifty, hardworking, practical and well organized. At the same time, the Dutch are very private people. We do not
boast about our accomplishments or material possessions.

Major cities and how they work

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364. Its name
is derived from Amstelredamme, which is indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small
fishing village in the late twelfth century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the
Dutch Golden Age. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. The seventeenth-
century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: Grachtengordel), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the
UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam was ranked thirteenth globally on quality
of living. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, is the oldest stock exchange in the world. Amsterdam's main attractions,
including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam,
Anne Frank House, Amsterdam Museum, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than
3.66 million international visitors annually.

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown
into a major international commercial centre. Rotterdam is one of Europe's most vibrant and multicultural cities. It is
known for its university (Erasmus), its cutting-edge architecture, its lively cultural life, its striking riverside setting, its
maritime heritage and the Rotterdam Blitz. But the essence of Rotterdam is its huge, modern port. It is the largest
port in Europe and one of the busiest ports in the world.

In the Netherlands, Rotterdam has the highest percentage of foreigners from non-industrialized nations. They form
a large part of Rotterdam's multi ethnic and multicultural diversity. 46% of the population are of non-Dutch origins
or have at least one parent born outside the country. There are 80,000 Muslims, constituting 13% of the population.
The mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, is of Moroccan descent and is a practicing Muslim. The city is home to
the largest Dutch Antillean community. The city also has its own China Town.
Generation trends

Generally, the older and younger generations tend to do things differently. The older generation tends to keep more
strictly to the traditional customs. Traditionally, the older generation would have four children in each family. Eating
vegetables and pulses is the norm with the older generation. And filial piety, hard work, loyalty, and prestige are
important to the older generation.

The younger generation tends more to the American-style life. These days, the younger generation would have one to
two children in the family. Eating fast food is the norm with the younger generation. Due to this shift towards eating fast
food, obesity has started to become more common in the Netherlands.

However the Dutch still like riding their bicycle and they're a popular way to commute. Because of this healthy way of
transportation, obesity rates are still lower than in the neighboring countries.